One record at a time: 207. Jean Michel Jarre - Rarities

For about thirteen years Jean Michel Jarre didn't release any of his new albums on vinyl. The cycle was only broken in 2011 by a compilation called "Rarities" which mirrored the content of the second CD of the "Essential and Rarities" compilation of the same year. 

I didn't buy this record when it was released as I already owned a bootleg CD of the same name and I had no burning desire to hear the music from vinyl. I own the record today because I included it on an 'wishlist' I made in the run up to Christmas 2011. At the time I was a bit fed up of being asked what I would like as a present, so I absent mindedly created a list of records I wasn't prepared to buy myself, but I would be happy to receive as gifts. When I opened this on Christmas day I was very pleased as it filled a hole in my collection and didn't cost me a penny. 

I don't know how many copies of this record were pressed but it now seems to be relatively difficult to find at a reasonable price. Even the afore mentioned double CD seems to be priced ridiculously high by sellers, so I feel fortunate to own both today.

Fittingly this compilation begins with Jarre's first recorded work "Happiness is a Sad Song" which is a musique concrète piece recorded in 1968. As an example of the genre this song is acceptable, but it won't ever be mistaken for one of his masterworks. "Hypnose" is a single released with magician and hypnotist Dominique Webb but the version included here is "Part 2", the instrumental b-side created by Jarre alone. Compared to the first track, this song is positively commercial and has a charming chintzy seventies style. Jarre's first 7" single  "La Cage / Erosmachine" from 1971 is another musique concrète affair that is probably only enjoyed by dedicated fans.

The remainder of this album is taken up by songs culled from a disc of library music Jarre titled "Deserted Palace" and the soundtrack to the film "Les Granges Brûlées". Both of these records were originally released in 1973 when Jarre was carving a living as a jobbing musician rather than as a recording artist. These early efforts were recorded using rudimentary equipment and sound very naive to modern ears. Whilst this album is a great archive of Jarre's less commercial work, it remains of interest only to collectors and the casual fan need not trouble themselves. 2/5

One record at a time: 206. Jean Michel Jarre - Odyssey Through O2

I'm not sure if we can consider this an album proper as this sampler only has four tracks compared to the seventeen featured on the CD. However, there's little point having a protracted discourse on the subject as I think the review will be quite short.

The first Jean Michel Jarre remix album was 1995's "Jarremix" which was only released on CD and was so bad I don't think it was even formally released outside of France. Despite the failure of "Jarremix" someone thought it would be a good idea to release a remix album based upon "Oxygene 7-13" three years later. 

My memory of this record is one of extreme disappointment. The mixes were pretty boring and the only thing of interest on the CD was the JArKaos visualiser software that could make pretty patterns on the screen when placed in the optical drive of a PC.

The Trancegenics mix of "Oxygene 10" isolates the melody and pizzicato strings and lays them over some tabla percussion and a tanpura drone. Whilst the mix is as dull as can be, it does at least retain something of the original. DJ Cam offers us a downtempo/trip hop remix of "Oxygene 7" replete with scratches and syncopated breakbeat. I'm sure some will find this interpretation interesting but it is just too repetitive for me. 

On the flip side there is a "Trans" mix of "Oxygene 8". Personally I have never heard of an artist called Boodjie & Veronica and their only other credit on Discogs seems to be for an album with Bugs Bunny on the cover. It remains a mystery why they were chosen for the project. Things finish off with the Claude Monnet remix of "Oxygene 12" which also appears on the "Complete Oxygene" double CD set as "Oxygene in Moscow". This last mix is probably the best of the bunch but it let's face it, the competition is weak. 1/5

One record at a time: 205. Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene 7-13

In 1997 Jarre was inspired to create a follow up to his original masterwork by Mike Oldfield's successful "Tubular Bells II" project. Much like Oldfield, Jarre chose to rework some of the leitmotifs from the original album and give them a more contemporary sheen. Even Michel Granger's sleeve painting gets an update.

The original pressing of "Oxygene 7-13" is pretty rare so I will have to make do with the version included in the "Oxygene Trilogy" box set from 2016. Unlike the original, this vinyl is transparent and has the new title of "Oxygene 2".

For the first time Jarre dispenses with the "Part" monicker and this album opens with a piece simply titled "Oxygene 7". I can only describe the opening theme as being vaguely reminiscent of "Part IV" slowed to half time. The whole track is held together by a rolling bassline and analogue drums with flashes of Mellotron stings to provide colour. After about seven minutes the incessant bassline finally withdraws as the main theme is resurrected against the sound of pouring rain. For the final movement Jarre creates something that wouldn't have sounded out of place on "Equinoxe" with its ambient textures and wailing ARP 2600.

Next we segue into one of the other main melodic pieces on the album "Part 8". This song was the lead single from the album and was remixed to death by a plethora of uninspiring dance acts. Whilst I like the song, there is no doubt it was heavily influenced by dance music and not a continuation of the original "Oxygene". Part of the problem for me has always been that this album sounds too busy. In 1976 Jarre only had an eight track tape machine and a small selection of synthesizers. By 1997 he had no such restrictions and, as he acknowledged, "The lack of limitations is very dangerous."

There is a less gracious segue into "Part 9" which features the Eminent 310 Unique strings playing underneath various melodic components that finally give way to a tune played on a patch we first heard on "Oxygene Part 1". I'm not sure if we are supposed to assume the melody of this song is played on a Theremin or not. Jarre was a bit obsessed by the Theremin at this point in time and would unveil it at concerts and appearances as if he were the first to discover it. Having seen Jarre attempt to play the instrument on the tour that accompanied this album, I'm inclined to think that this more polished performance is played on a synthesiser. On the original "Oxygene" this sound was played on a ARP 2600, and having been duped by Jarre's subterfuge on so many occasions previously, I'm inclined to think there is no Theremin on this record.

The last single from the album was "Part 10" which continues to use the wail patch that may (or may not) be from a Theremin, alongside dance influenced beats and various melodic elements. Much like "Oxygene 8" this track was handed to various contemporary artists for them to remix but only "Sash!" came out of the process with any dignity.

"Oxygene 11" is an attempt to recapture the excitement of the second movement of "Oxygene Part V" but it is only partially successful. After five minutes of churning arpeggiator sequences the song peters out and "Part 12" begins. Rather than waste a good tune Jarre resurrects the melody of "Oxygene 7" and plays it as an arpeggiated sequence as the special effects sweep around us. Things slow in tempo for "Oxygene 13" which sees the Eminent strings rolled out once again in attempt to provide a successor to "Oxygene Part VI". Whilst this isn't a bad ending, it's not at the same level as the original. Which is a statement that can be applied to the whole album really. 3/5

One record at a time: 204. Jean Michel Jarre - Chronologie Pt6 Slam and Gat Dacor Remixes

This is a potentially controversial entry as the debate over how to classify this release rages amongst some Jarre fans. People on both sides of the argument are convinced they are correct, but ultimately it just comes down to personal preference.

If you wish to consider this a single (or God forbid a 'Maxi') then please do so and just think of it as having been reviewed out of turn. Personally I don't care, but as I bought the CD from the album section of the shop and it charted in the UK album chart, I'm treating it as if it were an album. I have owned the CD since it was released in 1994 but I only acquired the vinyl in 2020. I had no burning desire to hear this music from wax but I was trying assemble a more complete collection at the time I bought it. 

Whatever format we consider this record to be, it has little to recommend it. I absolutely love the original version of "Chronologie Part 6" but these mixes are not only boring but completely divorced from the source material. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy some progressive house and techno, but these tracks are devoid of ideas and go nowhere. 

The first Slam mix starts promisingly but after eleven minutes of hearing the same two bar loop going round and round it becomes a real test of endurance. The second mix abandons the techno bassline and leans more heavily on TB-303 acid squeals, but ultimately it goes down the same cul-de-sac as the first. The "Main Mix" by Gat Dacor utilises a breakbeat and the occasional vocal sample, but the closest it comes to incorporating material from the original is a few chords after about five minutes. The "Alternative Mix" is just more of the same dross. In truth, the only thing of merit on this disc is the original version.

In creating this record I think Jarre and Polydor were attempting to gain credibility in the nascent dance scene by paying newer artists for remixes. The trouble with this approach is that some people will always be content to take the cash and churn out a song of their own creation rather than rework the source material. The same issue would occur a few years later when The Orb were commissioned to remix "Oxygene Part 8", but there were slightly more spectacular consequences that time. This 'album' is definitely for completists only and even the most ardent Jarre fan can afford to ignore it. 1/5 (it would be zero if the original were not present).

One record at atime: 203. Jean MIchel Jarre - Chronologie

In 1993 many young music fans like myself were ensconced in the burgeoning dance scene where a number of artists cited Jarre as an influence. Rather than hang up his patch cables and cede to the next generation, Jean-Michel chose to jump in and create electronic dance music of his own. As a progenitor the French maestro clearly understood the genre and was able to match himself to the confections of the day. For existing fans of his work who had also felt the draw of dance music, this album was manna from heaven.

I own three copies of this record. The first I bought five years ago when the vinyl was relatively rare and I ended up paying more than I should have. I think the price was also elevated because this copy has stickers indicating it was a promotional copy, but it is essentially just the standard European release. When the vinyl was re-released in 2018, prices of the original plummeted and I bought a second copy for a few pounds simply because I couldn't stand to see it being ignored. The third copy is the re-released version which has a different back cover and Anglicised spelling.

The ten minute opus "Part 1" that begins this record is split into two movements. The first part opens with a bass drum mimicking the sound of a heartbeat and slowly develops into a magnificent theme with showers of special effects and kettle drums. The second movement begins at around six and a half minutes and blossoms into another grandiose soundscape that is full of atmosphere. 

Ticking clocks begin to permeate as we segue into "Part 2" and its rather raucous melody. Interestingly this track recycles the past by sampling one of Jarre's earlier works "Erosmachine" and using some of the effects first featured on "Fourth Rendez Vous" - this is a concept album about time after all. 

"Part 3" is a beautiful and haunting theme played over a wonderful string arrangement. The only thing that detracts from the beauty of this piece is the dreadful guitar solo that doesn't belong anywhere near a Jean Michel Jarre record.

Side two opens with one of the standout pieces "Part 4" in which a Roland "Rubber Bass" preset grinds away under a soaring melody and TR-909 dance beats. "Part 5" is split into two movements and initially allows us time to cool down before launching into a very nineties sounding dance track. 

For me "Part 6" is the best song on this album as it has a mesmerising bass sequence and a beautiful melody. In fact this track probably vies with "Magnetic Fields Part IV" as my favourite Jarre track; I highly recommend it. Once again we segue into the next track which is a more abstract soundscape which merely acts as a conduit to the final piece "Part 8". Dramatic organ sounds from the Roland JD-800 provide a strange introduction to a song that is built around a rap rhythm and a melody played out on brass. As the song ends the heartbeat returns and we have come full circle.

For many, "Chronologie" is the last great Jarre album. Some argue that he would never again create something that was so forward thinking and innovative. From this point on Jarre's work seemed to always be harking back to the past and by the time he snapped out of it and attempted something contemporary again, we ended up with the car crash that is "Téo & Téa". I went to see Jarre perform live for the first time during the tour that accompanied this album and it was a fantastic experience. I have great memories of the concert and this album will always be special to me. 5/5

One record at a time: 202. Jean MIchel Jarre - Images: The Best Of

This album was released in 1991 and provided a welcome update to the dreary "Essential". Whilst Jarre expresses a dislike of compilation albums, he was content enough to work with label engineer Bruno Mylonas to remix several tracks and segue them together with new interludes. Also included are two new recordings and a rare non-album track. By the early nineties, compilation albums had moved on and the general public now expected new material alongside the hits.

Once we have obligatory "Oxygene Part IV" and "Equinoxe Part V" introduction out of the way, Jarre delivers a new version of "Magnetic Fields Part II" based on the version recorded for the Paris La Défense concert. Personally I don't like this mix as it sounds flat and what I can only describe as 'plastic'. Both "Oxygene Part 2" and "Computer Weekend" have been edited and there is some new percussion and other minor changes to the latter.

There's a wholesale re-recording of "Equinoxe Part IV" that is based on the version played at La Défense (far be it for me to suggest it is the same recording and Jarre merely mimed at the concert). Like the re-recording of "Magnetic Fields Part II" this new version sounds pretty dreadful compared to the original and is very brief. We then move onto "Band in the Rain" and the first side finishes with "Second Rendez-Vous".

Whilst the sleeve and labels tell us the first track on the flip side is "London Kid", the track that actually plays is "Zoolookologie". I think the intention was to include different tracks for different markets but the whole thing seems to have been too complicated for someone and this UK pressing of the LP plays the European tracklisting.

There's a very short edit of the first movement of "Ethnicolor" before the abomination that is a new recording of "Orient Express". I can give an illustration of how bad this mix is by relaying a story. In 1991 I worked in the record department of a high-street shopping chain. One day, not long after this album was released, I persuaded the deputy manager to play it over the PA. Things were going well until "Orient Express" come on and suddenly the manager marched up to me saying, "Are you telling me people actually listen to this?" Despite answering in the affirmative the CD was promptly replaced by "Queen: Greatest Hits" and no more was said about it. Whilst I hated all of the managers in that store, I do have to agree that "Orient Express" probably isn't amongst M. Jarre's best moments. 

At this point of the running order you might ask yourself the question, "If some of these new versions are so bad, why are they included on a 'Best Of' compilation?" I too am mystified by this and my confusion has always been compounded by the inclusion of, what was by then, a five year old b-side. I acknowledge that not many people would have been familiar with "Moon Machine" when this album was released, but the quality of the music doesn't really warrant inclusion. The album does finish with two genuinely new compositions "Eldorado" and "Globetrotter", but to say they are mediocre is a kindness. 3/5

One record at a time: 201. Jean Michel Jare - Waiting For Cousteau

In 1990 my expectations of Jean Michel Jarre were high. His previous album had reached number two in the UK charts and his "Destination Docklands" concerts had writ his name large in the mind of music fans such as myself. 

Yet, the album Jarre delivered that year was so far removed from "Revolutions" that I was left disappointed. That's not to say "Waiting for Cousteau" is a bad album; it is more that it was a change of direction that left many of us behind.

Here I am playing an LP I bought in 2015 from eBay, but on the day this album was released, I was firmly committed to CD. As you can see form the picture, I also have a couple of promo posters for the album as I just happened to be walking out of an HMV store as one of the assistants was tearing down a giant window display. I decided to try my luck and asked if I could have a poster. The shop assistant looked at me uncertainly as if he was trying to think of reasons why he couldn't give me one. Having failed to find sufficient rationale to deny my request he searched through the jumble of torn paper and ripped album sleeves and pulled out two of the least mutilated posters. Whilst both posters have a tear in the bottom left hand corner, I managed to disguise the damage sufficiently for them to adorn my bedroom walls during my youth.

The lead single and main theme from this album is a track called "Calypso". As I'm not a massive fan of steel band or Caribbean music, this song has never been to my taste. At eight and a half minutes in length, it is also too long. The single edit comes in at under three minutes and is probably the version I find most palatable.

We find ourselves on more familiar ground with the next track "Calypso Part 2" which sounds like it could have been taken directly from "Revolutions". After around four minutes we enter a second movement that sees the steel band returning to compliment the churning synth arpeggios and haunting melodies. For me, this second movement is the standout piece on the record.

Whilst this is one of the first Jean Michel Jarre albums where the sleeve doesn't tell us which instruments were played, it is clear he used his Roland D-550 for "Calypso, Part 3 (Fin Du Siècle)". I'm not too keen on the first few minutes of this track but it comes alive after about four minutes and proves to be quite entertaining from that point on.

The biggest disappointment of this album has always been the title track. The fist time I played this album I was expecting this to be one of Jarre's extended symphonic pieces like "Second Rendez-Vous" or "Magnetic Fields Part I". As the music played I began to ask myself, "When is something going to happen?" After a few minutes I was bored enough to use the "seek" function on my shiny new CD player. I was pretty incredulous when I realised this forty minute track was nothing but an ambient dirge. I had been robbed! This wasn't music, it was just a drone with a sprinkling of piano here and there. 

The LP and cassette includes a 22 minute version of this cut with the 47 minute version reserved for the CD. I have a memory of advertising for this album mentioning the CD had 24 minutes of extra music and I ruefully reflected that I'd rather have the LP. Today, I still don't listen to "Waiting for Cousteau" and hearing it on this record is the first time I have ever sat through the whole piece (albeit the 22 minute version). I admire this track more than the petulant teenager who heard it back in 1990, but I can't pretend this is one of Jarre's best efforts. 2/5